Lily Gladstone achieves historic milestone as the inaugural Native American nominee for Best Actress at the Oscars
With today’s groundbreaking nomination for the lead actress Academy Award, Lily Gladstone edges closer to a potential historic victory at the Oscars for her outstanding performance in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
Hailing from Siksikaitsitapi and Niimiipuu heritage, Gladstone has secured her place as the first Native American actress nominated for an Oscar at the 96th Academy Awards, marking the fourth time an Indigenous actress has received a nomination in this category.
In the 1920s Oklahoma-set crime drama, Gladstone takes on the role of real-life figure Mollie Kyle alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, depicting the heinous murders of Osage tribe members by white perpetrators seeking to exploit oil rights.
Adding to her list of accolades, Gladstone recently made Golden Globes history by clinching the award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama, a significant achievement for being the first Indigenous person to receive this honor. In their acceptance speech, she dedicated the win to “every little rez kid” and delivered part of her speech in Blackfeet.
The posthumous nomination of the late composer Robbie Robertson for the original score of “Killers” marks a historic moment as he becomes the first Indigenous person to receive such recognition. Robertson, who passed away in August, contributed to the film’s total of 10 Oscar nominations, spanning categories like best picture, director, supporting actor, cinematography, editing, production design, song, and costume.
Hailing from Montana and growing up in the Blackfeet Nation, Lily Gladstone embarked on her film career with a debut in Arnaud Desplechin’s 2013 drama “Jimmy P.” Her noteworthy performance in Kelly Reichardt’s 2016 drama “Certain Women” garnered her nominations for both the Indie Spirit and Gotham Awards.
“This is for every little rez kid, every little urban kid, every little Native kid out there who has a dream, who is seeing themselves represented and our stories told by ourselves in our own words, with tremendous allies and tremendous trust with and from each other,
Gladstone expressed in their acceptance speech at the Golden Globes, recognizing the significance of the historic victory.
